The MITSUBISHI LANCER WRC is a
World Rally CarWorld Rally Car built by
RalliartRalliart ,
Mitsubishi Motors ' motorsport division, to compete in the World Rally
Championship . The previous Lancer Evolution series were homologated
for the
Group A class, and their competitiveness against World Rally
Cars from other manufacturers was therefore limited.

CONTENTS

* 1 WRC
* 2 WRC2
* 3 WRC04
* 4 WRC05
* 5 External links

WRC

The LANCER EVOLUTION WRC is powered by the same 1996 cc 4G63 engine
that has been used in its sports and rally cars since the 1980s, in
this iteration producing 300 PS (221 kW ) at 5500 rpm and 540 N·m
(398 lb·ft ) at 3500 rpm. The car debuted at the 2001 Rallye San
Remo, after a relatively short development (
RalliartRalliart couldn't
introduce the Lancer WRC later because of a contract they made with
the FIA in 1999, which allowed them to run the old specification
Lancers). Despite calling it Lancer, it was based on its sister-model
Cedia . The WRC rules allowed more freedom in most areas of the car,
therefore the engineers were able to make changes to the car they
couldn't do to the older
Group A Lancers. These changes included
modifications to the engine and its surroundings (lighter internal
parts, more rearward tilt to optimize the front weight distribution,
new turbo and new exhaust system), but the most significant change was
made to the suspensions: now both the front and rear suspensions were
MacPhersons , and also bigger wheel arches were implanted, allowing
more suspension travel. However, the drivetrain remained the same as
before, and when
Tommi MäkinenTommi Mäkinen left the team at the end of 2001, the
new drivers couldn't get on with this special transmission, which
required an aggressive left-foot braking approach. The original Evo
WRC (sometimes referred to as Step1) was replaced with the Step2 from
2002 Finland onwards.

WRC2

The LANCER EVOLUTION WRC2 is also powered by the 4G63 , also
producing 300 PS (221 kW) at 5500 rpm and 540 N·m (398 lb·ft) at
3500 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed
INVECS -type sequential
transmission via a triple-plate carbon clutch and distributes power to
all four wheels via front-, centre- and rear- active differentials .
The car's suspension is independent , with MacPherson struts and coil
springs at each corner. The brakes are vented discs clamped by
6-piston calipers at the front, and 4-piston calipers at the rear. The
car debuted at the 2002 Rally Finland. Changes to the Evo WRC included
better weight distribution and lower centre of gravity, different
front airdam to increase airflow to the radiators, a new intercooler,
new exhaust manifold and a single-scroll turbocharger , and new engine
parts (lightened crankshaft , flywheel and other rotating parts). The
suspension was also updated to offer more travel and rigidity, and
slight changes were made to the transmission, too (to suit more the
very different driving style of McRae and Delecour). Mitsubishi pulled
out of the WRC at the end of 2002, but in 2003 they used this car for
developmental purposes on some WRC events, with McRae clinching a 6th
place at the 2003 Rallye New Zealand.

WRC04

In the LANCER WRC04, around 6000 changes were made compared to the
Step2. The car continued with the 4G63 engine, mounted to a 5-speed
semi-automatic transmission (at the start of the season, Mitsubishi
used a completely passive transmission, and later introduced active
differentials) and a new all-wheel drive system co-developed by
Ricardo Consulting Engineers and
Mitsubishi Motors Motorsports (MMSP).
The bodywork was subjected to extensive aerodynamic testing at the
Lola Cars wind tunnel (this resulted in the completely new front
airdam, the new wheel arches and the interesting, shopping trolley
handle-like rear spoiler). The front brakes were upgraded to 8-piston
calipers clamping 370 mm (15 in) discs. The car was suffering a lot
from frustrating mechanical and electrical glitches (in New Zealand,
both cars retired on the start line of the first stage after an
electrical problem apperaed). Mitsubishi didn't even complete a full
season, since they continued to develop and test the car outside the
WRC, but with little result in 2004; however, the car had some good
moments and seemed to be promising after more development.

The LANCER WRC05 saw no significant changes, but the car's width was
increased by 30 mm (1.2 in) due to a change in the WRC regulations.
The engine remained the same, but the ECU and the turbo wastegate were
updated.
AerodynamicAerodynamic alterations to the bodywork were introduced to
improve stability and to accommodate the new, wider track, while
suspension links and driveshafts were lengthened. Steering-mounted
gearshift paddles were also introduced, and longer ratios were adopted
for first, third and fourth gears. The car showed great promise, since
Panizzi took 3rd place in Monte Carlo, and ex-
PeugeotPeugeot man Rovanpera
was fast on gravel events, eventually clinching a 2nd place at the
last round in Australia, but soon after that Mitsubishi pulled out of
the WRC, and only returned through
RalliartRalliart UK, who took over the cars
and supported private and semi-works entries in 2006 and 2007. At the
Swedish WRC-event in 2006, local rallydriver Daniel Carlsson made
podium with a 3rd place in the Värmland forests, in such an entry.
Daniel battled for seconds, just into finish line, with team mate Gigi
Galli, who settled for fourth spot.

To maintain some competitiveness, MML Sports (ex
RalliartRalliart UK) made
some development to the car, including an updated suspension,
transmission and other, minor changes. This resulted in the car
(sometimes called the WRC07) being faster than the WRC05 by a massive
0.5sec/km.